Water-soluble photopolymers for rapid prototyping of cellular materials

Commercial light-sensitive resins for Rapid Prototyping of cellular materials are often unsuitable for different molding techniques because removal of the mold uses thermal decomposition at temperatures of up to 600 (degree) C. In this study, a resin formulation based on water-soluble polymers was developed and evaluated regarding its usability as sacrificial mold material. The base monomer dimethylacrylamide gave fast curing and excellent polymer solubility. Methacrylic acid was found to be a useful comonomer to improve mechanical strength and feature resolution. The latter criterion was also improved by adding poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) as filler and by using a hydrolytically cleavable crosslinking agent such as methacrylic acid anhydride.